Japan's leader, Sanae Takaichi, has pledged to respond "with calm determination" following accusations that Chinese military jets locked their radar onto Japan's F-15s southeast of the primary island during the past weekend.
An Concerning Aerial Encounter Disclosed
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, China's J-15 fighter aircraft operating from the carrier Liaoning activated its fire-control radar against Japan's F-15s on two occasions last Saturday. The first incident took place at 1632 hours and occurred again approximately later. The ministry noted that visual confirmation could not be obtained due to the distance, adding that no damage or casualties were reported.
"This was an unprecedented instance the Japanese Ministry of Defense has reported an event of this nature," a report stated. Fighter jets commonly use radar for search and rescue.
Diplomatic Objection and Denials
In response to Tokyo's claims, the Chinese navy released a statement dismissing them as "completely inconsistent with the facts." It demanded Tokyo to "immediately stop slandering and smearing." Instead, China asserted that Japan's Self-Defense Forces aircraft had "seriously endangered aviation safety" by repeatedly flying near its exercise areas. Beijing did not mention a radar lock-on.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry subsequently called on Japan to "halt its dangerous moves of interfering with our normal drills and exercises."
Escalating Strains and Regional Context
Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have worsened markedly over the past month. The downturn followed PM Takaichi stated that an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of Japan's military should such a conflict posed an existential threat to Japan.
She insisted that Japan had the right to invoke its legal authority to collective defense, which involves coming to the aid of an ally. The Prime Minister emphasized that Japan had to "anticipate a worst-case scenario" in the Taiwan Strait.
The Japanese Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, labeled Saturday's encounter as "dangerous and extremely regrettable." In a diplomatic move, China's envoy to Japan, Wu Jianghao, was called in the following day.
Japan's vice-foreign minister, Funakoshi Takehiro, made a "strong protest" and demanded Beijing to "ensure that similar actions do not recur."
Longstanding Points of Contention
The two nations have a long-running sovereignty disagreement over the Senkaku Islands, which are known as the Diaoyu by Beijing. These tiny, unoccupied islets lie in waters between Okinawa and Taiwan.
Additionally, regional tensions continue. Tokyo has been deepening cooperation with the US and its partners in the Indo-Pacific region, where a number of nations are engaged in similar maritime) disagreements with China.
China, in turn, maintains vast territorial claims in adjacent seas, activities that has prompted criticism and legal challenges.
